The National Organic Standards Board is expected to vote during its November 18th meeting on whether hydroponic organic produce is an appropriate label, following an official legal complaint filed by the Cornucopia Institute alleging that the USDA has been illegally allowing hydroponically-grown fruits and vegetables to be labeled and sold as “organic.”

“Astute consumers have turned to organics to procure fruits and vegetables for their family knowing that certified farmers do a better job of stewarding the land by nurturing the complex biological ecosystem in the soil, which creates nutrient-dense, superior food,” said Mark Kastel, senior farm policy analyst at The Cornucopia Institute. “Hydroponic and container systems rely on liquid fertilizers developed from conventional crops or waste products. Suggesting that they should qualify for organic labeling is a specious argument.”

The November 1 Cornucopia Institute complaint specifically targeted Driscoll’s berries and Wholesum Harvest, a major tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper producer, for their use of hydroponics, but the USDA has allowed more than one hundred other soilless operations to carry the certified organic label.

The NOSB’s vote will come six years after an NOSB recommendation that implied that organic farming and hydroponics were contradictory in terms.

“The abundance of organisms in healthy, organically maintained soils form a biological network, an amazing and diverse ecology that is ‘the secret,’ the foundation of the success of organic farming accomplished without the need for synthetic insecticides, nematicides, fumigants, etc,” the 2010 recommendation read.

Most countries prohibit the organic certification of produce grown through hydroponic means, including 28 countries of the European Union, Mexico, Japan, and Canada.

]]>There Aren’t Nearly Enough Organic Farms to Meet the Demandhttp://www.organicauthority.com/there-arent-nearly-enough-organic-farms-to-meet-demand
Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:00:47 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/?p=49996The demand for organic food in the U.S. is exceeding the number of organic farms, due in large part to the cost of certification for individual farmers, according to new research. Corporate businesses and nonprofits are scrambling for a way to lessen the burden of certification, thereby increasing the number of organic farms in the nation. […]

The demand for organic food in the U.S. is exceeding the number of organic farms, due in large part to the cost of certification for individual farmers, according to new research. Corporate businesses and nonprofits are scrambling for a way to lessen the burden of certification, thereby increasing the number of organic farms in the nation.

General Mills is one such company, which, in partnering with Organic Valley in June, agreed to pay higher than market value for organic milk in order to fund farmers transitioning to organic. This initiative is expected to help 20 farms add 3,000 acres of pastures for organic milk production.

“What we can do by partnering with Organic Valley is making sure the economic engine is there to pull the train,” said John Foraker, the president of General Mills-owned Annie’s.

Aside from individual corporations funding organic farms, associations have begun developing “certified transitional” labels, such as the one proposed to the USDA mid-May by the Organic Trade Association or the one developed jointly by QAI and Kashi. These certifications would help farmers increase their prices during the second and third year of organic certification, to better cover the costs of organic conversion.

Farmers in conversion must cultivate using organic practices for three years before being certified organic. Farmers often operate at a loss during this period, when the prices they can charge for their products do not match the costs of production.

“Your farm is your financial life, and when you decide you’re going to change the way you’re doing your business, you’re kind of putting it at risk,” Californian farmer Marc Garibaldi told the Guardian. “The grocery stores don’t give a crap whether you’re in the transition to being organic. All they care about is are you certified or not.”

While the organic market continues to grow in the U.S., valued at $43.3 billion last year and up 11 percent from the year before according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2016 Organic Industry Survey, the USDA estimates that only about one percent of American cropland is certified organic.

]]>Why are Some Farmers Opting Out of Organic Certification?http://www.organicauthority.com/why-some-farmers-opt-out-organic-certification
Thu, 02 Jun 2016 07:00:14 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/?p=47206If you’ve ever been to a farmers market, you’ve probably noticed there are quite a few farmers who grow without pesticides, but the produce they sell doesn’t have the certified organic label. You make think, “why don’t they just get certified?” Their reasons may surprise you. It’s not about the government (but it kind of is) […]

If you’ve ever been to a farmers market, you’ve probably noticed there are quite a few farmers who grow without pesticides, but the produce they sell doesn’t have the certified organic label. You make think, “why don’t they just get certified?” Their reasons may surprise you.

It’s not about the government (but it kind of is)

The United States government wants organic farmers to succeed—that’s one of the reasons the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a multimillion-dollar fund available that’s specifically meant to help producers and farmers get organic certification. “This year’s kitty for the federal organic cost-share program totals over $12 million and could defray as much as 75 percent of a farmer’s total certification costs,” the Press Herald reports.

But even with all that funding and support, there are many farmers who opt out of the certification because:

The farmers dislike government regulation.

The farmers don’t want to spend the money for the certification.

The farmers dislike dealing with the yearly paperwork.

The cost for farmers who opt out

The choice to forgo USDA organic certification has cost some people a lot of business.

Bill Hinck of Meadowood Farm in Yarmouth, Maine said his farm lost customers when he didn’t get certification—some natural food stores and restaurants stopped buying from the farm. He lost almost $10,000 a year in annual sales.

“Even though I wasn’t doing anything different,” Hinck adds.

He also says that farmers market customers ask him about his organic status every week at the local market in Portland. He’s been selling there since 1985 and although he was an organic farmer for 28 years, he’s now considered “all natural.”

Hinck could get the help he needs to become organic again. “The wholesale customers he lost offered to pay for his certification, which would be administered as usual by MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association,” the Press Herald reports.

“He’s also aware that the government would happily pay for most of the costs associated with organic certification. But Meadowood Farm is done with that.”

But he is just fed up with the process, and, as he says, is “tired of jumping through hoops.”

However, not all farmers think the organic certification is too arduous. At least the number of organic farmers in Maine hasn’t suffered too much.

“We’ve seen a big boost in processors in the last year,” Newkirk adds.

And Newkirk explains that although the organic certification process is time-consuming, it’s improved over the years.

“The majority of the 480 producers and growers MOFGA certifies are in a database that allows them to simply update last year’s numbers,” notes the Press Herald.

However, Newkirk understands why some farmers choose not to get certified.

“Usually it is a personal thing, and they are not interested in certifying,” she says.

“They just don’t believe in it.”

She also adds sometimes organic farms leave after they’ve built a customer-base.

“When they have a strong customer base, then they cease the certification process. MOFGA doesn’t serve as the organic police; that job falls to USDA’s National Organic Program,” the Press Herald adds.

There are other certifications farmers can get, though:

Certified Humane

Biodynamic

Non-GMO Project Verified

And in Maine, there are five farms and producers who have obtained the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) certification. “It was started in 2002 as an alternative to the USDA’s national program, a form of rebellion for organic farmers who didn’t want to pay the government for a seal they felt they already deserved,” explains the Herald.

How do you feel about organic farmers who stop getting USDA certification? Do you trust other certification processes? Would you still buy from them?

]]>USDA Aims to Help Small Farmers Fund Organic Certification Costshttp://www.organicauthority.com/usda-funding-to-help-small-farmers-with-organic-certification-costs/
Wed, 20 May 2015 11:00:28 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/?p=35905One of the biggest challenges small farmers face in obtaining organic certification is the overall cost—especially if they grow a wide variety of produce, since each variety needs to be certified separately. That’s why the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has nearly $12 million available to help farmers defray the cost of certification. “The organic certification […]

One of the biggest challenges small farmers face in obtaining organic certification is the overall cost—especially if they grow a wide variety of produce, since each variety needs to be certified separately. That’s why the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has nearly $12 million available to help farmers defray the cost of certification.

“The organic certification cost share programs help more organic businesses succeed and take advantage of economic opportunities in this growing market,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

According to Farm Futures, funding is being distributed through the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program and the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share Program:

These programs provide cost share assistance to USDA certified organic producers and handlers, covering as much as 75% of an individual applicant’s certification costs, up to a maximum of $750 annually per certification scope.

The funding is a win-win for farmers and consumers alike—not just because organic foods are healthier and easier on the planet, but for small farmers it means the ability to charge higher prices.

“As demand for organic products continues to soar, more and more producers are entering the organic market,” said Vilsack. “USDA tools and resources have created opportunities for organic farmers and more options for organic consumers. Growing demand for organic goods can be especially helpful to smaller family operations. The more diverse type of operations and the more growing market sectors we have in American agriculture, the better off our country’s rural economy will be.”

]]>Is Certified Naturally Grown Just as Good as Organic?http://www.organicauthority.com/is-certified-naturally-grown-just-as-good-as-organic/
Wed, 01 Apr 2015 10:00:20 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/?p=34864Have you ever asked at the farmers market “Is that organic?” and been told “No, but it is Certified Naturally Grown.” Wondering what in the world that means? Well, read on. What is Certified Naturally Grown (CNG)? CNG is a grassroots-led alternative to the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) for small-scale farmers who distribute their […]

Have you ever asked at the farmers market “Is that organic?” and been told “No, but it is Certified Naturally Grown.” Wondering what in the world that means? Well, read on.

What is Certified Naturally Grown (CNG)?

CNG is a grassroots-led alternative to the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) for small-scale farmers who distribute their products through local venues like farmers markets, community supported agriculture subscriptions, restaurants, roadside stands and through grocery stores with local produce initiatives.

But, it’s also for shoppers trying to reduce their environmental impact by choosing locally-grown produce and farm products. Recent studies have shown that choosing locally-grown produce is a better choice with less environmental impact than organic produce that has been shipped around the world.

But what’s the difference between Certified Naturally Grown and the USDA National Organic Certification Program? In a word, it’s cost. The cost of becoming certified under the USDA’s program is prohibitive for many small local producers. The USDA’s program is better suited to medium and large commercial growers who can afford the fees and have a large enough staff to handle the paperwork requirements. The Certified Naturally Grown program is appropriate for farms selling directly in their local communities.

And lest you think that Certified Naturally Grown is something that consumers must “settle” for, according to the CNG website the standards they utilize are just the same, if not better than the USDA program. CNG farmers must commit to not using synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, hormones, or genetically modified organisms. To ensure that farmers are following their standards, CNG utilizes what is called a “participatory guarantee system” model in which inspections are typically carried out by other farmers, which promotes sharing and is more of a community approach:

The CNG Standards and growing requirements are based on the USDA National Organic Program rules. They are no less strict- in fact CNG farmers are constantly improving their soil and striving to increase the sustainability of their farming operations. The primary difference between CNG and the USDA Organic program is cost to farmers and paperwork requirements.

The next time you are at the farmers market, or you stop by a roadside stand in front of a local farm, don’t ask “Are you certified organic?”, instead ask if they are Certified Naturally Grown.

]]>2 NY Dairy Farmers On Their Delicious, Local Cheesehttp://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/cows-milk-ny-dairy-farmers.html
Mon, 21 May 2012 04:48:27 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/s1-foodie-buzz/c4-foodie-buzz/cows-milk-ny-dairy-farmers/We’re continuing our stroll through local cheesemakers of America, but we’re not quite ready to leave New York State yet! Last week, we discovered New York goat cheese, but goats are not the only animals supplying high-quality milk to cheesemakers in the Empire State: today, we’re talking about cows. Wake Robin Farm Wake Robin Farm, a […]

We’re continuing our stroll through local cheesemakers of America, but we’re not quite ready to leave New York State yet! Last week, we discovered New York goat cheese, but goats are not the only animals supplying high-quality milk to cheesemakers in the Empire State: today, we’re talking about cows.

Wake Robin Farm

Wake Robin Farm, a family-run farm in Central New York, started its career as an organic vegetable farm. One of its co-owners, Meg Schader, was happy to discuss their views on organic farming, sustainability and, of course, cheese.

Meg and her husband Bruce have been running the farm together since 1999. With Meg’s degree in agricultural science from Cornell University and Bruce’s lifelong experience, having been raised on a conventional dairy farm just two miles away from Wake Robin, they make an ideal team!

“For seven years before we started our dairy, we ran an organic vegetable farm,” Meg says, though their dairy farm is not certified organic. “We had initially planned to certify our dairy, but haven’t done so for several reasons. We do feed organic grain, graze our cows as much as possible, feed our calves real milk, and we do not use synthetic pesticides or herbicides anywhere on our farm.”

As with other farmers Organic Authority has spoken to, Wake Robin’s decision not to become certified is based entirely on the health of the animals. “We have found it necessary to use antibiotics for pneumonia, and hormones for retained placentas, but hormone and antibiotic use is not routine on our farm – in fact it is very infrequent,” Meg says. “However, on a farm of our size, every cow is valuable and irreplaceable, and that is one of the reasons we are not certified organic.”

However, as with many local producers, Meg and Bruce don’t find that the absence of official certification poses any problem with regards to their business within the community. “Since we retail most of our products, we find that most customers are willing to listen and learn about what we do – beyond just looking for the label ‘organic’,” she says. “It would certainly be easier for marketing to have the word ‘organic’ on our products. On the other hand, since we don’t, it opens a conversation with our customers, and I like to think that we are helping to educate consumers about agriculture in general, which is a good thing. My husband, who grew up on a ‘conventional’ dairy farm, taught me very early in our relationship that the similarities between organic and conventional faming are much greater than the differences.”

Meg and Bruce obviously care about what they do, something that certainly comes through in their discussions with their customers about their products, which include fresh yogurt and five homemade artisanal cheeses including Bailiwick Cheddar and Caerffili, a Welsh-style cheese. Three of their cheeses are award-winners: the Mona Lisa, a mild and mellow cheese, won the Silver Medal in the 2009 North American Regional Jersey Cheese Awards. Opus, a must for stinky cheese lovers, took the Bronze medal in the 2010 World Jersey Cheese Awards, and the newest Wake Robin addition, Floradell, is a mellow, Alpine-style cheese that won the Silver medal in the 2010 World Jersey Cheese Awards.

Meg’s favorite product, however, “the product that I feel best exemplifies what we do,” is their cream-on-top whole milk, plain and simple. “It is the real deal, so creamy and delicious, and since we don’t standardize our milk, it highlights the seasonal variations in butterfat and color of our milk. It is simple and wholesome, and I love that we can get it from the cow to consumer in less than 6 hours. When you put ours next to milk from the grocery store, the differences really challenge the assertion that ‘milk is milk’!” Both milk and cheese lovers should check out this New York cheesemaker!

Mecox Bay Dairy

For Art Ludlow, farming has always been in his blood. “I’m on the same farm that I grew up on,” he says of Mecox Bay Dairy in Bridgehampton, a farm that, when he was growing up, was principally a potato farm. “In 1959 or 1960 we went totally potatoes and got rid of the cows,” he recalls, though in 2000, he made the decision to stop growing potatoes, mainly for his children.

“We lose land every year,” he explains. “We rent about half our land, and people kept selling it. We decided that for the future, if any of our kids wanted to farm, it would be too difficult.”

“With an area like we have here — good soils, a market at our back door, a long growing season — it’s ideal for getting closer to the consumer and selling directly to them. People would come in the yard and ask, ‘Why are you growing potatoes?’ We said, ‘We always have’, and we wanted to change that answer.”

The Ludlows started making cheese in 2003, and they quickly considered going organic, but for the moment, they haven’t become certified. “It’s an evolving process,” says Art. “What we’re looking at are the people we’re selling to. Organic is definitely good, but to be certified organic is a lot of miscellaneous busywork that we don’t have a lot of time to do. We’re not really up on what actually is required. We’re trying to do as much organic as we can; we’re just not going through the process of being certified.”

Art expresses the same worries about his animals’ health as other small farmers we’ve encountered. Art’s farm has 12 cows on it; if one falls ill, it’s important to be able to treat her. “We’re trying to work on that and be as close to natural as we feel we can be,” he says, and he also points out, “I think a lot of what people are looking for — close and local — and that is as good as organic is.”

“I do think about it; I don’t worry about it, mainly because I sell most of my products through local farmers markets, so I have a relationship with my customers. I’m open about everything we do here. It’s not something I’m wringing my hands over.”

Art’s business definitely isn’t suffering; his products are all being sold at various farmers markets all over the South Fork of Long Island, with help from Art’s son, Peter. “He’s pretty much in the business already,” Art says. “He graduated from college 2 or 3 years ago and came back to the farm and got involved in the business. He’s working on getting us to be a little more sustainable, growing crops that we can feed to the animals.”

As for the products themselves, Art has a hard time deciding which of the six different cheeses he makes he prefers. “I would take all six of my cheeses over anything else that exists,” he says. “But my personal favorite happens to be Mecox Sunrise.” Mecox Sunrise is a tomme-style cheese with a washed rind and a slightly pungent flavor, like an époisses. Like all of his cheeses, Mecox Sunrise is a raw milk cheese.

“We’re just trying to be sustainable, so we’re making the cheese, we’re getting into producing more of our own feeds for our animals, we’re raising Berkshire pigs and feeding them whey, slaughtering them and selling the meat at the farmers’ market. Bull calves are either grown for veal or made into steers and slaughtered and sold at the market. We fatten them up ourselves and make sure they’re handled properly… Nothing gets thrown out, basically. That’s the whole thing. It’s not just cheese.”

Organically grown foods can be–and often are– mixed with non-organic ingredients, genetically modified organisms and artificial ingredients despite boasting organic labels. Organic fruits and vegetables can comingle with conventionally raised produce, be exposed to pesticides and other contaminants in shipping, storage and on display at your local supermarket. And sometimes, products labeled organic aren’t even organic at all, like the recent case of an Oregon man sentenced to more than two years in prison for selling conventionally raised corn as organic.

Beyond the health, environmental and flavor benefits in growing organic food, there’s the enticing higher sticker price for farmers, distributors and retailers. Just ask any farmer who made the switch from conventional to certified organic how much more they’re making with premium organic crops. Money certainly tempted Harold Chase, 55, of Eugene, OR who appeared to double his profits by selling more than 4.2 million pounds of non-organic corn as certified organic.

In 2009, Target was accused of falsely advertising soymilk as organic when it was not. The retail giant faced a similar situation just two years earlier when the USDA considered pulling the organic certification from Target’s main organic dairy supplier—and the nation’s largest—Aurora Dairy (supplier for Horizon), for selling non-organic milk marketed as organic for more than four years. Horizon had once been considered a leader in the organic food movement.

How does this happen?

Regulations, especially in livestock conditions, were loosely defined when the National Organic Program was implemented in 2002. While stricter rules exist now for meat, egg and dairy farms claiming to be organic, unresolved issues about ethical treatment still remain a contentious point in defining organic animal products.

The USDA organic labeling system has several levels of organic certification. You may recognize the USDA seal on the front of “100 percent certified organic” products. But they also allow the word “organic” on products that contain only 70 percent organic ingredients. A bag of corn chips, for example, could say something like “made with organic corn,” but could contain no other organic ingredients (and could also contain genetically modified canola or soybean oil). So make sure you read your labels and ingredient panels on any processed foods.

“100 percent certified organic” means just that. But the USDA defines “organic” as meaning at least 95 percent of the product is organic, and therefore can also contain ingredients like “natural flavoring” which can—and often does—include MSG (monosodium glutamate), known for severe side effects including headaches and tinnitus. Because MSG naturally occurs in autolyzed yeast extract, it is considered a natural product. So is carrageenan, a seaweed substance known to cause adverse reactions like digestive disturbances. Other products that may or may not be labeled as more than just “natural flavors” include enzymes, gums and yeasts.

China is a major exporter of organic products from canned tomatoes to milk to dried fruit and tea. But their certifying program varies greatly from our own, and banned toxic pesticides and other chemicals have shown up in organic foods on several occasions. Just recently, Chinese officials announced that they will take extra measures to stop illegal fraudulent activities including misuse of certifications and counterfeit organic products.

Supermarkets are loaded with fruits and vegetables labeled organic. But field-testing to ensure compliance with organic standards is a rarity in the U.S. Organic produce fetches a higher sticker price, so it is highly appealing to both farmers and supermarkets, making us all victims of organic fraud likely at some point or another. Supermarkets that aren’t certified organic can often co-mingle organic and conventional produce leading to residual pesticide contamination, even though they’re not supposed to share storage or display units. Visiting and supporting a local farmer, either at a farmers market or through a CSA, greatly improves your chances of getting truly organic items.

]]>Mile High Organics Becomes Certified Organic Online Retailerhttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/welcome-first-organic-certified-online-retailer-mile-high-organics/
Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:00:49 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=10945Whole Foods Market became the first certified organic national retail chain in 2003—and again when procedures changed in 2009—and now, Mile High Organics based in Boulder, Colorado claims it has become the first certified organic online retailer to achieve certified organic status. What’s the point of becoming a certified organic retailer? The extra steps assures […]

Whole Foods Market became the first certified organic national retail chain in 2003—and again when procedures changed in 2009—and now, Mile High Organics based in Boulder, Colorado claims it has become the first certified organic online retailer to achieve certified organic status.

What’s the point of becoming a certified organic retailer? The extra steps assures that all of the products sold by retailers like Whole Foods Market and Mile High Organics meet the strict organic standards applied to food growers and manufacturers including no pesticides or herbicide applications, no use of toxic fertilizers, and all organic foods must be stored separately from conventional foods that may have been exposed to pesticides and herbicides. Organic foods also may not include any genetically modified ingredients.

According to Michael Joseph, CEO, president and co-founder of the organic produce and natural grocery retailer, “Our objective is to be the most transparent, highest-quality retailer that enables our customers to make the best food choices and also receive what they expect.”

The Colorado-based retailer meets a demand for high quality organic products available online. 2011 saw the organic industry sector surpass $30 billion in sales—up 9.5 percent over 2010. In addition to non-gmo, organic foods and products, Mile High Organics has developed strong relationships with local organic farmers and curates products made by local manufacturers in the Colorado area.

A weekly delivery program that can be customized to consumer tastes is the company’s signature service that allows customers regular replenishment of their favorite food items, environmentally friendly kitchen supplies and various household items. Currently, Mile High Organics only serves Colorado’s Front Range areas of Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins.

]]>EU and U.S. Create Historic Trade Partnership for $50 Billion Organic Industryhttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/eu-and-u-s-create-historic-trade-partnership-for-50-billion-organic-industry/
Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:00:16 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=10787An historic partnership connecting organic producers in the European Union and the United States will become effective June 1, 2012, according to an agreement reached between the world’s two largest organic producers earlier this week at the BioFach World Organic Fair—the world’s largest organic trade show and conference. Valued at more than $50 billion in […]

An historic partnership connecting organic producers in the European Union and the United States will become effective June 1, 2012, according to an agreement reached between the world’s two largest organic producers earlier this week at the BioFach World Organic Fair—the world’s largest organic trade show and conference.

Valued at more than $50 billion in annual sales between Europe and the U.S., the agreement will honor the organic certification standards that bookend both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. All organic products contained in the trade partnership parameters must be shipped with proof of organic certification in order to qualify. The partnership will drastically open up trade and create jobs in the organic agricultural and manufacturing sector.

The organic standards are virtually identical in the U.S. and the EU except in the case of the use of antibiotics; the use of antibiotics is prohibited in the U.S. except where an invasive infection can rapidly spread and destroy crops, such as the fire blight, which can affect apple and pear orchards. Infected animals are allowed to receive antibiotic treatment in the EU.

According to the EU Commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural development, Dacian Ciolos, “This agreement comes with a double added value. On the one hand, organic farmers and food producers will benefit from easier access, with less bureaucracy and less costs, to both the U.S. and the EU markets, strengthening the competitiveness of this sector. In addition, it improves transparency on organic standards, and enhances consumers’ confidence and recognition of our organic food and products.”

]]>Busted: USDA Finally Enforces Organic Standards at Shamrock Farmshttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/busted-usda-finally-enforces-organic-standards-at-shamrock-farms/
Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:00:36 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=10651Shamrock Farms is under fire from the USDA for questionable “split operation” livestock management practices that could get their organic certification revoked. The USDA investigation is in response to a formal complaint by the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog that first inspected Shamrock in 2008. Cornucopia found “inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking […]

Shamrock Farms is under fire from the USDA for questionable “split operation” livestock management practices that could get their organic certification revoked. The USDA investigation is in response to a formal complaint by the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog that first inspected Shamrock in 2008. Cornucopia found “inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility,” and learned from Shamrock employees that “the confined cows had not been out in weeks.” Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed, a practice that some factory-scale dairies shirk according to Cornucopia’s investigations.

Shamrock, an industrial-scale organic dairy located south of Phoenix, Arizona, is the state’s first ever certified organic dairy. At the time of Cornucopia’s inspection, the facility was milking about 16,000 cows, with between 700 and 1,100 cows in the organic milk herd. Cornucopia’s Senior Farm Policy Analyst Mark Kastel says, “This dairy operation never should have been certified in the first place,” and adds that the three year lapse between their complaint and the USDA’s enforcement “is a grave disservice and abdication of the USDA’s congressional mandate to protect the industry from improprieties.”

While even delayed enforcement action is good news, the case against Shamrock Farms reveals a number of shortcomings in the organic certification process. In a recent letter to Cornucopia, the USDA said it completed its investigation of Shamrock by referring the complaint to the operation’s certifier, Quality Assurance International (QAI). Cornucopia openly questions the propriety of the USDA essentially sub-contracting investigations to certifiers. If Shamrock is in “flagrant violation of the law” as Cornucopia alleges, and QAI continued to certify them since 2008, then QAI is complicit in the violation and should be up for suspension according to precedent.

In a notice to Cornucopia, the USDA says that QAI issued a “Letter of Proposed Suspension,” but that Shamrock has appealed and continues to distribute its milk and sour cream products throughout the Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions. The USDA refuses to release the actual Letter of Proposed Suspension, which marks a break from tradition that even the Bush Administration’s USDA followed. Kastel laments this decline in openness, noting that documents that had previously been released are now being withheld or are so heavily redacted upon release that they are useless to the public and media.

Fortunately for organic farmers and consumers, Cornucopia research suggests that “90% of all organic dairy brands are produced with high integrity.” Shamrock Farms and other busted dairy operations, coupled with a reluctant USDA and secretive National Organic Program, underscore the importance of policy groups keeping certifiers in check. Watchdogs like Cornucopia are helping preserve the integrity of the organic label in the face of selective enforcement and declining transparency.

You can see photos of Shamrock’s facilities among others in Cornucopia’s photo gallery.

The controversial case surrounding Promisedland Livestock’s organic certification came to a close last week as the operation’s organic certification was officially ordered suspended, effective July 28, 2011.

Accusations brought by advocacy group, the Cornucopia Institute, alleged that Nebraska based Promisedland Livestock was illegally passing conventionally raised cattle as organic and transferring those animals to Aurora Dairy complex in Platteville, Colorado—another operation that has been the target of suspicion over its organic certification. Cornucopia claims that Aurora operates a $100 million operation in two states with thousands of animals at each location, “The company has been under intense scrutiny from The Cornucopia Institute due to its highly questionable livestock management and organic practices.”

A decision to suspend Promisedland’s organic certification was actually issued by the USDA last year because of repeated failures to access company records. Promisedland filed for a stay on the decision, alleging that they were preparing to appeal the charges, but they withdrew the motion in June.

In a statement from Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst of the Cornucopia Institute, he said, “Just like Al Capone was not convicted of murder or racketeering, but rather of tax evasion, Promisedland was brought down by their unwillingness to share records, as required by law, that would’ve proven the organic origin of their cattle, with investigators from the USDA.”

According to Promisedland Livestock’s website, “We feed out all our own cattle and develop replacement beef heifers. We raise our own non-GMO grains and feedstuffs and are in control of both genetics and nutrition from conception to the end product.”

]]>Oregon Set to Certify Farms as Organichttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/oregon-set-to-certify-farms-as-organic/
Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:22:30 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=5920Until now, Oregon farmers couldn’t call their crops organic without help from the private sector or from other states. But not anymore, the Oregon Department of Agriculture will now perform its own certifications. This makes Oregon the 16th state nationally accredited to bestow “organic” on a prospective farm. Oregon joins states like Maryland, Iowa, Washington, […]

So if you have an aspiring organic farm in Oregon, it’ll cost you $75 an hour for the state to audit your books and check fields for certain pesticides and fertilizers, before you join the organic club.

Good news for the state, because organic sales in Oregon jumped from $10 million in 2002 to $90 million in 2007.

I wonder why Oregon waited. And what’s the deal with the other states too!